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Dealing With Slugs

18 years ago

The other night (in the pouring rain) I went out with a flashlight to hunt for the slugs that had been eating my plants. I found at least 15 of them and some of them were very large and icky to say the least. I collected them in a large plastic cup and the next morning, I put the cup into a large plastic flower pot (in case they tried to crawl out) next to my bird bath. By the afternoon, all of the slugs had been eaten. It was great because instead of having to 'kill' slugs....I fed the birds instead. :)

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Comments (9)

jean001
18 years ago
Hmmm. Or, perhaps the slugs left the plastic pot under their own power?
StephLynn
18 years ago
If you don't mind killing them, put out a shallow dish of beer where they're a problem. They'll crawl in and die.
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The following are some tips on dealing with slugs. A spray bottle of half ammonia/half water is good. When you go on patrol, spray slugs at will. If it does not seem strong enough to you, add a little more ammonia. This is a very effective way to zap the slithery critters. Diatomaceous Earth will also work. Slugs do not want to cross it. It will rip them open. Look for this at a garden store and maybe wear a dust mask when you apply around your plants. Water your plants in the morning and let ground dry during course of the day. This simple trick is very effective. Copper strips about 4 inches wide. Some people swear by this, some say it does not work. The theory is that slugs will get zapped if they cross the copper. Look for this in a garden store. Lay a board down over some wet ground. In the morning, or whenever, go out with a bucket of soapy water or the half ammonia/half water mix. Pick up the board carefully and look at the underside. There will probably be slugs on it. Scrape or pick them off and throw in bucket. Beer traps made from margerine tubs or soda bottles and placed around the area you wish to protect also can be effective. There are a number of organic snail baits such as: Escargo, Sluggo, or Worry Free. They are very effective.
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Like you, I've been reluctant to use slug bait. I spray 10% ammonia solution for slug control. You have to spray the slug directly so that involves getting into the garden early in the morning, during the night, or on a drizzly overcast day. (more fun than it sounds) For such a heavy infestation, it might also be a good idea to drench the soil around the plant with ammonia solution to kill the slug eggs. The holes on your plants are really quite large...cutworms or caterpillars might be the culprits. Hand-pick those? The slugs/worms have lots of hiding places in the plants surrounding your hosta...you might need to pull some of those out to clear the base.
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fairy_toadmother
18 years ago
starla8, i am afraid that they probably crawled out. we used to get them in the catfood dish when i was a kid. disgusting! biggest one i ever seen or yet to see!
FabesBabe
18 years ago
Condolences to all you slug infested gardeners. Last year I had a terrible problem with slugs - from huge slimy ones to tiny ones that hide down in the center of my hosta during the day. One was actually eaten down to the ground!
This year I turned proactive. First I sprinkled commercial slug bait around all the hosta and any other plants they have attached in the past as soon as they started to emerge from the ground. Then I sprinkled crushed egg shells around them. The egg shells are sharp and the little devils won't crawl over them. I've also read that pine needles will work. About once a month I replenish both. Looking much better this year!
chuckr30
18 years ago
I also heard they don't like to crawl on copper, and if you put copper wire or 1/2" copper strips around your plants they won't cross it. But that doesn't prevent the ones inside the square from eating your plants.
starla8
Original Author
18 years ago
Would pennies work instead of copper strips? I have loads of pennies...not so much copper strips. :)
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
18 years ago
try the hosta forum ....

use the SEARCH function for slugs or vinegar or ammonia ....

i dont know if SEARCH goes to other forums.. ken
nygardener
17 years ago
I squashed a couple dozen of them this evening poking around in the rain. They're completely disgusting. It took me half an hour to clean up afterward. We do have a few snakes but they must be lying down on the job.
janetr
17 years ago
Starla, apparently pennies will work too, placed in a circle (touching each other) around the plant. And it's actually cheaper than the copper wire!

Janet's Garden

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